Boot-leg-turning machine.



F. HICKS BOOT LEG TURNINGMACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-H.191?- Paten ted Nov. 13, 1917.

-2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. RICKS.

BOOT LEG TURNING MACHINE.

APPLICATIQN FILED JAN-11.1917.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- ave/2 2201' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED nIcKs, or LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 U ITED SHOE MACHINERY-GOM- PANY, or PATERSON, NEW JERSEY. A coaPo A'rroN on NEW JERSEY.

BOOT-LEG-TURNING MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 13, 191 7.

Application filed. January 11, 1917. Serial No. 141,782.

To all whom it may concern: i r

Be it known that I, FRED Rroxs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Leicester, in the county of Leicester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot-Leg-Turning Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to turning machines, and more particularly to machines of this type employed for turning boot legs or articles of like nature.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved turning mechanism of simple and compact construction that enables a boot leg to be turned with facility. With this object in view the several features of the invention consist in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the accompanying description.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention Figure 1 represents one type of turning device with a partially turned boot leg supported thereon; Fig. 2 is a detail showing a cross section of the support for the boot leg; and Fig. 3 is a view illustrating a modified form of turning device which embodies certain features of the invention.

According to the present invention an adjustable boot leg support is provided, and is connected with means under the control of the operator whereby the support may be expanded or contracted in size during and prior to the turning operation. To this end the support is shaped to fit approximately within the boot leg, and comprises two parts which are hinged to swing toward and from one another expanding or contracting the support. A portion of the support is enlarged at the end remote from the point at which the turning operation is commenced, so that the upper end of the boot leg, which is turned first, is slack to permit it to be freely turned while the lower end is gripped firmly by the support to maintain the boot leg as a whole from moving during the turning operation.

I t e i l strated embodiment of the back vention shown in Fig. 1, the boot leg sup port is mounted upon a bench or table indicated at 5, and comprises a part 7 secured to the table and a second part 8 hinged to the part-7 through a plurality of longitudinal hinge members 9, one of which is indicated in. Fig. 2. It will be noted from an inspection of. Figs. ,1 and 2 that the two parts7 and 8 together form a support which approximates the shape of the boot leg, andover which the boot leg may be readily drawn, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The two parts are normally separated by one or more springs 10 received in recesses 11 and 12 formed respectively in the parts 7 and 8. Means under control of the operator are provided for moving the parts together to contract the support, comprising an operating arm 15 extending laterally from the part 8 and connected to a suitable treadle (not shown) through a flexible connection 16. The arm 15 is provided with an up turned extension 17 secured to the part 8 through fastening members 18, and is so arranged with relation to the part 8 of the support that an outward pressure upon the end of the arm will swing the part 8 toward the part 7 compressing the springs 10.

It will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 2 that the boot leg support extends horizontally from the supporting table to permit the convenient manipulation of the boot leg by the operator, and is provided with an enlarged portion 20 at its outer end which serves to grip the boot leg tightly during theturning operation. In order "to facilitate the positioning of the boot leg upon the support and enable the support to be received within and completely fill the boot leg, the parts 7 and 8 are'constructed and arranged to provide a longitudinal recess 21 extending along the upper portion of the support, and in which the seam of the boot leg is conveniently received. r

' In order to prevent the bootleg from telescoping during the turning operation, and to maintain the unturned portion of the leg in position upon the support, a plurality of friction members are provided for engaging with the inside of the boot leg to retain the boot leg in position. To this end, as shown clearly in the drawings, a series of strips 22 formed of rubber or otherfriction material, extends longitudinally of the support and are retained at their opposite ends by securing devices, one of which is shown at 23 in Fig. 1. Inasmuch as these rubber strips are elastic and are retained 5 only at their ends, they are free to yield more or less during the turning operation, and in actual practice as the turning operation progresses, the rubber strips are crowded ahead of the fold in the boot leg, maintaining the inturned portion of the boot leg in position, but without gripping the boot leg so tightly as to impede the turning operation.

According to the usual mode of operation of this construction, the support is first con tracted and the boot leg is then drawn thereover until the lower end of the boot leg is received upon the support. The treadle is then released, permitting the support to expand, and gripping the boot leg tightly at the lower or ankle portion while leaving the upper end of the boot leg comparatively slack and free to be turned back by the operator. After the upper end of the boot leg has been preliminarily turned back, the remainder of the boot leg may be easily turned by grasping the boot straps as shown clearly in Fig. 1. andpeeling the boot leg off of the support. During this operation the inturned portion of the boot leg is gripped by the rubber strips 22 which prevent the boot leg from telescoping without expanding it sufficiently to retard the turning operation. Then the turning operation has progressed to a point at which the lower end of the boot leg is reached, the springs will yield to permit the leg to be turned over the enlarged portion 20 of the support.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings the boot leg support comprises two parts 30 and 31 which are connected by a hinge 33 at one end. The outer end of the support is normally expanded by a tapered block 35 slidingly received Within the two parts of the support, as shown clearly in the drawings, and secured to a slide 36 connected at its rear end to a bell crank lever 37 pivoted at 38. The bell crank lever is depressed to move the block 35 outwardly and expand the support through a suitable treadle (not shown) connected with the bell crank lever through a flexible connection 39. The bell crank lever is normally actuated to return the block to its initial position by a spring 40 connecting the upper end of the bell crank with a fixed portion of the table. In order to move the parts 30 and 31 together and contract the support when the tapered block is drawn back, an elastic ring 4C2 surrounds the inner end of the support, as shown clearly in the drawing. In order to firmly grip the lower end of the bootleg during the turning operation, the two parts of the support are 65 provided with rubber strips 43 which form raised faces serving to frictionally engage with the boot leg. In this modified form of turning device the support is normally contracted, permitting the boot leg to be initially drawn thereover. After the boot leg has been positioned preparatory to turning, the treadle is depressed, causing the support to grip the boot leg at the lower end.

The upper end of the boot leg is then turned back in the usual manner, and the boot leg is peeled off of the support.

The invention having been described, What is claimed is:

1. A device for turning boot legs or analogous articles, comprising an elongated boot leg support conforming generally to the interior of the bootleg-and constructed and arranged to permit the boot leg to be freely drawn thereover at the commencement of the turning operation, and means for expanding the support to grip the interior of the boot leg during the turning operation and permit the boot leg to be turned by peeling the boot leg off of the support.

2. A device for turning boot legs or analogous articles, comprising an elongated boot leg support conforming generally to the interior of the boot leg and constructed and arranged to permit the boot leg to be freely drawn thereover at the commencement of the turning operation, means for expanding the support to grip the interior of the boot leg during the turning operation, and yielding gripping members secured to the support and arranged to maintain the boot leg in position upon the support during the turning operation.

3. A device for turning boot legs or analogous articles, comprising two parts hinged together and forming an elongated support conforming generally to the interior of a boot leg, and means supported between the hinged parts to move the parts away from one another and expand the support to cause the support to grip the boot leg during the turning operation.

4. A device for turning boot legs or analogous articles, comprising an elongated support conforming generally to the interior of a boot leg and having an enlarged end, and means for expanding the support to cause the latter, more especially the enlarged end, to grip the boot leg during the turning operation.

5. A device for turning boot legs or analogous articles, comprising a table, a support extending laterally from the table, and having an enlarged outer end, members secured to the support for yieldingly gripping the interior of the boot leg, and means for expanding the support to maintain the boot leg in position thereon during the turning operation. 7

6. A device for turning boot legs or analogous articles, comprising two parts hinged together to form a boot leg support, springs ed by a longitudinal hinge and forming supported between the parts for normally when together a substantially cylindrical expanding the support, and means under the support fitting within the boot leg, and 10 control of the operator for contracting the means located between the parts and within support against the action of the springs. the support for separating the parts to ex- 7. A device for turning boot legs or analopancl the support and grip the boot leg. gous articles comprising two parts connect- FRED KICKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patent Washington, D. G. 

